The Thang Long Royal Citadel Spring Festival will kick off on Jan. 29, and is expected to be one of the highlights in a series of cultural festivities hosted by Hanoi to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year Festival (Tet).

During the 11-day event, the city’s residents will have the opportunity to visit the Doan Mon historical site, where archaeologists have discovered brick foundations from the Le dynasty and a wide range of ceramic artifacts dating back to the Ly and Tran dynasties, who ruled Vietnam during the 11th-15th centuries.

Visitors will be able to enjoy a host of outdoor activities, including rituals, exhibitions of handicraft products and bonsai trees, calligraphy writing, dragon dances, folk-song performances and traditional games, reported the Co Loa-Hanoi ancient citadel preservation centre.

The festival will also showcase a number of Dong Son bronze drums and imperial robes, which have been painstakingly restored, as well as pictures painted on traditional Do paper and pottery adorned with designs from the Ly and Tran dynasties.

The center’s vice director Tran Quang Dung said that, following the “Ancient citadel’s spring charm 2007” and the “Thang Long Royal Citadel Festival 2008,” this year’s event is considered a rehearsal for the Thang Long-Hanoi’s millennial anniversary celebrations in 2010./.

Activities to celebrate 1000th Thăng Long-Hà Nội anniversary

VGP - The Prime Minister recently approved an overall program to mark the 1,000th anniversary of the founding of Thăng Long-Hà Nội, with the highlight of a ten-day festival on October 1-10, 2010. 

The festival will start with an opening ceremony at the monument of King Lý Thái Tổ and streets around the Hoàn Kiếm (Sword) Lake. Then come a series of activities, including exhibitions, art performances and sports events.

1. Opening day (October 1)

- The opening ceremony will be held by the Hà Nội authorities and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism at the Lý Thái Tổ Statue by the Hoàn Kiếm Lake in the morning of October 1. 

- The exhibition of socio-economic achievements of Việt Nam and Hà Nội will open in the afternoon at the Giảng Võ Exhibition Center.

- The exhibition of cultural and art works of Việt Nam in different periods at the Cultural and Art Exhibition Center, 2 Hoa Lư, Hà Nội.

- “The country with Hà Nội” show will be lively televised in the evening of October 1, with the direct participation of many people in different sites in Việt Nam and abroad.

- A general cultural and art performance will be organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Hà Nội in the evening, with the contribution of foreign artists.

2. Activities on October 2-10

a. Cultural and art activities:

- Cultural exchange festival for ethnic groups in Việt Nam to celebrate the 1000th Thăng Long–Hà Nội anniversary in Hà Nội.

- A week for historical films in Hà Nội.

- “Thăng Long impetus and the song for the country” music show at the Hà Nội Opera House.

- Performace of selected new songs to celebrate the anniversary at the Bà Kiệu Temple stage.

- Street festival and cultural-art program of young Hanoians at various places in Hà Nội.

- The first international festival for young musical bands in Việt Nam at the Mỹ Đình National Convention Center.

b. Sports activities

- Final round of the international Thăng Long–Hà Nội Football Cup in Hà Nội and other provinces

- Performance of Vietnamese marital arts at the Quần Ngựa sports palace.

- A running contest around the Hoàn Kiếm Lake.

- International cycling tournament from Hồ Chí Minh City to Hà Nội.

c. Tourism activities

- A tourism festival in Hà Nội.

- An exhibition of antiques, documents and objects about Thăng Long–Hà Nội at the Thăng Long ancient citadel vestige site, Hà Nội.

- Exhibition of ornamental trees and flowers at the Thăng Long ancient citadel vestige site.

- Craft Village Festival in Hà Nội.

3. Grand celebration of the 1000th anniversary of Thăng Long-Hà Nội, Ocotber 10:

- A State-level meeting with military march and parade, Ba Đình Square

- A cultural gala night by West Lake

4. Other activities to celebrate the 1000th Thăng Long–Hà Nội anniversity in Hà Nội from October 1, 2010

- Circus shows under the motto “Hà Nội – The city for peace” at Thiền Quang Lake, Đông Kinh Nghĩa Thục Square and the National Circus.

- Music concerts by famous Vietnamese artists at the Hà Nội Opera House.

- Performance of ancient dances of Thăng Long–Hà Nội at the Lý Thái Tổ Monument.

- International music and stage festival with the participation of art troupes from some 1000-year-old cities in the world (around 29 troupes).

- A big concert performed by Vietnamese and foreign orchestras at the Hà Nội Opera House.

- The national press awarding ceremony on the 1000th Thăng Long–Hà Nội anniversary.

- The awarding ceremony of international competition “Hà Nội – Your Rendezvous”.

- The conclusion of the contest on Thăng Long–Hà Nội for Vietnamese citizens.

- Photo exhibitions of Hà Nội at 93 Đinh Tiên Hoàng Street and 45 Tràng Tiền Street.

 - A calligraphy exhibition and festival at Văn Miếu (Temple of Literature).

- Exhibition on famous battlefields and campaigns in the military history of Việt Nam at the Việt Nam Military History Museum. 

- Exhibition on national heroes and cultural celebrities of Việt Nam at the Revolution Museum.

- Exhibition displaying products of individuals and organizations presented to Hà Nội at the Hà Nội Friendship Palace.

- Ancient Thăng Long–Hà Nội exhibition at the Hà Nội Museum.

- Performance of traditional áo dài (long dress)

- A kite-flying festival

- The debut of a collection of books about Thăng Long–Hà Nội

- Inauguration ceremonies of the Hà Nội Museum (Phạm Hùng Road), the Hòa Bình Park (Từ Liêm District), statues of President Hồ Chí Minh and President Tôn Đức Thắng (Thống Nhất Islet in the Thống Nhất Park), the Workers’ Theater (Tràng Tiền Street), Thanh Trì and Vĩnh Tuy Bridges, and Láng-Hòa Lạc Highway./.